DUNDAS, ON — While the Flamboro Downs fans who sent two-year-old trotting filly Jar Jar Binx off as the longest shot in the first Gold Elimination last weekend may have been surprised when she crossed the line in front of the six-horse field, her trainer Wayne Bloomfield was not.
“I knew she was a nice horse,” says Bloomfield. “The bettors didn’t give her much respect, but she had trotted as much as any of them. She’s not as well-bred as some of them, but I guess the horses don’t know what breeding they are.”
Bloomfield and Jar Jar Binx will give the Flamboro fans an attempt to rectify their mistake on Saturday afternoon when they compete in the fillies first $130,000 OSS Gold Final.
The Brisco Herbert filly will start from Post 9 in the eighth race and Bloomfield expects the trailing post will suit his charge perfectly. Jar Jar Binx scored her 2:03.1 Elimination victory, the fastest of the three divisions, by jumping out from behind the leaders and hitting the gas up the stretch.
“This girl’s pretty steady on her feet. She had the five-hole last week and went right to the three-hole and followed right along,” he says. “I don’t know how she’ll do, but I expect she’ll make a good showing for herself.”
Bloomfield trains Jar Jar Binx for breeder Karen Carroll of Shedden, who asked him to take on one of two trotting fillies she had in her barn last fall. Although he hummed and hawed over adding another horse to his already busy string, Jar Jar Binx has been a pleasure to work with since day one.
“I went and looked them over, they were full sisters, one was two and one was three,” recalls the Kerwood resident. “She said, “I’d rather you take the two-year-old because sometimes I can’t get them out every day.” And I said, “I can get her out every day. I won’t promise she’ll win any races, but I can get her out every day.
“And she’s been good since I got her. She’s got all kinds of manners for a two-year-old. It’s unbelievable really.”
Jar Jar Binx and driver Ray McLean, Jr. will face the other two Elimination winners, Independent Woman and Mikestory, from Posts 2 and 4, in addition to the second and third-place finishers from each Elimination.
Independent Woman scored her impressive 2:04.1 Elimination win from Post 7 for owner-trainer Ross Henry of Arthur. The full-sister to former Henry trainee Independent Dame, who has earned $231,359 in three seasons, and driver Wayne Henry are expected to atempt to control the pace through the early stages of the race.
Mikestory, bred and owned by trainer-driver Bill Megens of Troy, stopped the clock in 2:03.3 with her front end performance in the Elimination and logged the largest margin of victory, four and a quarter lengths at the wire. Like Independent Woman and Henry, Mikestory and Megens fired off the starting gate from Post 7 last weekend and could be looking for another wire-to-wire effort Saturday.
Flamboro Downs raises the curtain on its Saturday afternoon program at 3 pm and the exciting two-year-old trotting fillies will step to centre stage in Race 8.